Protests in parts of Karnataka over denial of ministership

Protests broke out in parts of Karnataka today as supporters of Congress leaders who failed to get berth in Cabinet expansion effected by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave vent to their anger.

In the district headquarters town of Yadgir, Congress workers ransacked the party office and set fire to windows over denial of ministership to senior leader A B Maalaka Reddy, police said.

In Ramanagara and Mandya, they held a dharna demanding that D K Shivakumar, former Working President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, be included in the ministry.

A supporter of Tanveer Sait sought to set himself ablaze in Mysore, where Congress workers also staged a demonstration.     

Senior leader Motamma, former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, ex-CWC member and a strong contender for the berth, stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

MLC Veeranna Mathikatti said at least five MLCs should have been made Ministers. None of the MLCs have been made Ministers.

Several districts went unrepresented in the Ministry, and a section of Congressmen there made no secret of their disappointment.

In Bangalore, a number of supporters of Shivakumar from his constituency Kanakapura, staged protest in front of former External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's residence, demanding that he appeal to the Congress High Command to ensure that their leader gets a cabinet berth.

As the situation was about to turn volatile, Krishna's wife Prema Krishna came outside and appealed to the supporters not to resort to any violence and said that the matter would be taken up with the High Command, police said.      

The supporters then dispersed.